macaroni, cheese, and new york city

new york macaroni co., east village – NOW CLOSED

I know what you’re thinking: “Do we really need another macaroni and cheese-specific restaurant?” We already have S’MAC and Macbar and loads of others.

You guys, this is New York; we passed the point of need many moons ago.

So, with that said, I’d like to introduce everyone to one of the newest kids on the block, New York Macaroni Co. While they took over the storefront of my beloved Puddin’ (rest in peace), if any restaurant is going to usurp a pudding-specific spot, what could be better than a mac and cheese joint?

What sets NYMC apart from the other mac spots are two things: the speed that the orders are ready and the surface area-to-volume ratio. As you can see from the above photo, this mac has a gorgeous crust, which is due in part to the shallowness of its disposable baking vessel. This system means almost every noodle has a bit of crunchy breadcrumb-cheese topping and — I would imagine — also helps with a speedy cooking time. The latter is especially handy when the drunken masses of St. Mark’s descend upon the tiny space.

Rather than just trying the traditional cheddar, we opted for the Ol’ Smokey, which is made with smoked bacon, smoked Gouda, peas and fresh-cracked pepper. First off: bacon, peas and cheese should be a holy trinity, much like a mirepoix. It’s never not good. Second: WHY don’t more people used smoked Gouda in their macs? It’s one of my favorites.

While I wish that there had been a bit more bechamel sauce and a more pronounced Gouda flavor, this was certainly a satisfying snack. The bacon added a wonderfully salty kick. I especially loved the use of cavatappi pasta, which is one of the best shapes for mac and cheese.

And, if you’re really going for broke (Saturday night, perhaps?), you can always get your mac inside a sandwich. Whoa.